KEY POINTS

  • Maria Bartiromo spent over six minutes Wednesday interviewing an animal rights activist pretending to be the CEO of Smithfield Foods
  • Matt Johnson, an activist with Direct Action Everywhere, told viewers that meat farms pose grave risks to the public and environment
  • Bartiromo was already under fire for not questioning guests like President Trump when they came on the show to share conspiracy theories

It was a rough Wednesday for Fox Business News host Maria Bartiromo.

First, the Washington Post published a detailed report of how Bartiromo has failed to challenge President Trump's unfounded assertions and controversial comments, potentially damaging her credibility as a business news journalist.

Then things got worse.

An animal rights activist pretending to be the CEO of Smithfield Foods fooled her and her producers for over six minutes.

Matt Johnson, who took responsibility for the stunt with the group Direct Action Everywhere, spent the Wednesday morning interview explaining to viewers, ostensibly from a position of frank remorse, how factory farm companies like Smithfield Foods endanger the environment and public.

Bartiromo was mainly interested in food safety and Smithfield Foods’ Hong Kong parent company. Her producers eventually figured something was amiss, admitting the show had been “punked” at the end of the broadcast.

“It was not the CEO,” Smithfield Chief Administrative Officer Keira Lombardo said in a statement to Forbes. “A simple Google search for a photo of our CEO would have prevented this from happening.”

Maria Bartiromo
Social media users reacted to the Fox Business Network moderators' line of questioning at the fourth GOP debate Tuesday evening in Milwaukee. Maria Bartiromo was tapped as one of the moderators for the debate. Getty Images

The statement from Direct Action Everywhere said the hoax was intended to spread awareness of the public health risks of large-scale animal farming, which can act as a breeding ground for new illnesses.

"Our industry poses a serious threat in effectively bringing on the next pandemic," said Johnson in the interview.

Bartiromo, 53, began her career at CNN. In 1993, she moved to CNBC, where she began an on-air career.

Bartiromo in 2013 joined Fox Business News and also appears on Fox News. She has written four books.

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